Two More Weeks…

The end of April is approaching fast. Life on Irie is still pretty much the same as the last few months: busy, busy, busy. Mark has been working incredibly hard to test developments for our new product, The Wirie AP, and has been researching, correcting and rewriting code, while trying his best to communicate with the developers in Taiwan. In the meantime, business is good here in St. Martin and our worldwide customer support is active. I have been writing and taking care of boat errands and daily chores. We also attempt to locate boat parts and items needed for the coming cruising season and we completed a few boat projects. On top of this, we have a wedding party to plan and visitors to expect. The days are long, but they sure fly by!

Since my friend Rosie from SV Alianna arrived in the lagoon, we have made some progress figuring out wedding stuff. I’m very new to the whole thing and don’t care too much about fanciness, but there is still a lot to plan and organize for the ceremony and the party. Rosie has been a tremendous help and inspiration. She joined me to Philipsburg, where we found a suitable white summer dress and we also explored the wedding grounds again and came up with some villa and ceremony decorations.

Another friend, Eli, who runs Lagoonies, will help out with the food and Mark and I are busy researching recipes and sorting through music. I made a whole list of things to do and things to get and go through my planning and schedule a few times a week. Over 30 guests will attend our special day and we are looking forward to have family and friends together.

The “Liesbet and Mark’s Caribbean Wedding Party” will start at 5pm on April 30^th at our rented villa in Baie Rouge, St. Martin, where everybody gathers. Then, a small, informal wedding ceremony follows on the beach. Our friend Axel is in charge of the picture shoot and a first tropical drink will be savored. Around sunset, the party will move back to the villa for food, drinks and music. Of course, I can’t give too many details, but I promise a full report after the fact!

Weekend in Friar’s Bay

Circumstances and conditions were favorable for Irie and her crew to do something fun over the weekend. The Saturday morning flea market at Lagoonies wasn’t happening, because of the monthly boat jumble on the French side, meaning that Mark and I did not “have to” promote The Wirie that day. And, the following Monday and Tuesday were a bank holiday in Taiwan, so Mark was off the hook on Sunday. Other times, his work week and communications with Alfa start on Sunday evening, because of the twelve hours difference.

Together with our friends Sim and Rosie on SV Alianna, we planned to spend the weekend in Friar’s Bay, outside the lagoon, a mere four miles away. After an invigorating, fast and short sail, passing the Mirabella V out in Marigot Bay, Irie dropped anchor in the sandy bottom of the sweeping and pretty bay. It wasn’t too busy yet, being nine o’clock, but we didn’t care really. It was time for some relaxation and enjoyment, a (not so) typical weekend away. And, it was also time to hang out with our friends, setting aside our busy schedule for a change.

Mark and I had a lot of email catching up to do, since the internet connection at our usual spot in the lagoon had been down for days, so we started off the weekend with that, using our Wirie. After lunch, we picked up Sim and Rosie and aimed for the beach. The waves gently lapped onto the sand, making for an easy landing. We all walked the relatively short trail to our favorite St. Martin Beach: Happy Bay. Even here, the waves were less high than usual, thanks to the wind direction. Not too many nudists were in view this time and all four of us had an enjoyable afternoon in the lucid water and the shade of a palm tree. Rosie and I had many more things and wedding plans to discuss, which unintentionally chased the guys away…

Saturday evening was spent on Alianna, where Rosie and Sim whipped up a delicious meat pie. Even after some snacks and drinks beforehand, the four of us (being piggies when it comes to food) managed to eat the whole thing with mashed potatoes as a side. Mark and I were treated like kings, not having to do anything and enjoying every minute of it. Our bellies were bloated and even if we would have had to do something, it was impossible. We couldn’t move for an hour. The cheesecake would have to wait until the next day.

Sunday, after a tasty pancake breakfast, Mark couldn’t help but work a bit, testing some changes to the software of our long expected and anticipated new product. Rosie and I focused on my wedding day and in the afternoon I gave our boat some needed (cleaning) attention, top and bottom. At night, it was our turn to serve drinks, do the cooking, preparations and dishes. Once again, we had a nice and stuffed evening. By Monday morning Irie was settled at her mooring again and the crew started a new work week. I also made up a new rule: not eat quite so much from now on, before that white dress wouldn’t fit anymore! It’ll be a tough one…